on.
‘It’s catalogued on the database under Agriculture
–.’ He reeled off a formula of characters and numbers. ‘Print that one off and
we’ll go through them together.’
Dan crossed the room towards the door. On seeing me,
he stopped and smiled. ‘He knows the catalogue numbers for everything, Alex,
off by heart. What a geek!’
I couldn’t help laughing, mainly because it
surprised me he could get away with it. He was jovial, a live-for-today sort. I
had a feeling we would always get along. He lingered a moment to chat but then
said –
‘Sorry to run off, but I’d better get on with it.’
‘You don’t want to keep him waiting,’ I added
quietly.
‘Oh, I’ve got all the time in the world!’ Thom
returned in his deep satirical voice, without looking over. He was examining
the cabinet for more mistakes. At moments like these I thought of him as
pompous, but I wasn’t sure Dan held the same opinion. He seemed very
comfortable with him, as if they had a steady friendship.
Just as Dan turned for the door, his phone buzzed
a noise that echoed through the room.
Thom remarked loudly, ‘Your wife again? Tell her
to go and make herself useful, instead of making you useless. Ah!’ he said,
looking over to me and then away. ‘If it isn’t the unusual girl who fears
nothing. I didn’t see you there, ma dame .’
‘You heard me well enough.’
‘Was that your voice?’ He turned about to forge an
appropriate look for confusion. ‘Apologies, I didn’t recognise it. For all I
knew Dan was talking to himself. This would be the place for that sort of
thing. Oh dear,’ he said, fixing his piercing eyes firmly on my face, ‘have you
caught a cold? Is that what kept you up half the night?’
‘I slept very well, thanks.’
It seemed useless to get clever with him, however tempted
I was. His sphinx-like chat would boggle my mind if I tried.
I carried on looking at the Creatures of the
Night. Presently he was going through a small bunch of keys he’d taken from his
pocket, searching through them intently for the right one.
‘So,’ he said abruptly, without looking up, and
finding the key he was after, ‘you didn’t like school. Not the only institution
you’ve had to escape from, I’ll bet.’
‘Do you have the place bugged?’ I asked squarely.
‘You know that if you listen in on other people’s–’
‘Listening?’ he interrupted. ‘But that requires choice.
This place is made of stern stuff, and so acts a prison for sounds and voices,
hurtling their way down the corridors, trying every room for means of escape.
How can I help but hear, Cassandra ?’
‘My name’s Alex and you know that.’
He chuckled. ‘You just look like a Cassandra.’
‘You can’t assign someone a different name because you think it suits them better. Or if that’s the case I’ll just call you
Dick.’
My hand went immediately to my mouth. He looked a
little shocked, yet mildly amused at my horrid repartee. I was so annoyed with
myself for allowing my wit to get out of my mouth.
‘Actually,’ he said stiflingly, ‘and I’m not
saying this, Alexandra , to make you feel worse for that insult you just
dealt me – but Cassandra is a variant of your own name. You recognise Sandra in one is Xandra in the other? You don’t have to believe me of course.’
He was still faintly smirking.
‘Thom, I’m so sorry for my remark.’ I felt some
heat rising to my face. ‘I can’t believe I said that.’
‘Not to worry.’ He smiled genuinely, revealing
dimples in his cheeks. ‘At least you said it to my face.’
He hesitated but then motioned his dark eyes to a
painting on the wall near where I stood. It was of a woman I recognised but
couldn’t have named off-the-cuff. I examined it to discover she was the
prophet, Cassandra of Troy: the flame-haired beauty, considered insane.
He silently laughed and looked as if about to
leave the room, but I’m glad he didn’t – I don’t think I would’ve
‘It’s catalogued on the database under Agriculture
–.’ He reeled off a formula of characters and numbers. ‘Print that one off and
we’ll go through them together.’
Dan crossed the room towards the door. On seeing me,
he stopped and smiled. ‘He knows the catalogue numbers for everything, Alex,
off by heart. What a geek!’
I couldn’t help laughing, mainly because it
surprised me he could get away with it. He was jovial, a live-for-today sort. I
had a feeling we would always get along. He lingered a moment to chat but then
said –
‘Sorry to run off, but I’d better get on with it.’
‘You don’t want to keep him waiting,’ I added
quietly.
‘Oh, I’ve got all the time in the world!’ Thom
returned in his deep satirical voice, without looking over. He was examining
the cabinet for more mistakes. At moments like these I thought of him as
pompous, but I wasn’t sure Dan held the same opinion. He seemed very
comfortable with him, as if they had a steady friendship.
Just as Dan turned for the door, his phone buzzed
a noise that echoed through the room.
Thom remarked loudly, ‘Your wife again? Tell her
to go and make herself useful, instead of making you useless. Ah!’ he said,
looking over to me and then away. ‘If it isn’t the unusual girl who fears
nothing. I didn’t see you there, ma dame .’
‘You heard me well enough.’
‘Was that your voice?’ He turned about to forge an
appropriate look for confusion. ‘Apologies, I didn’t recognise it. For all I
knew Dan was talking to himself. This would be the place for that sort of
thing. Oh dear,’ he said, fixing his piercing eyes firmly on my face, ‘have you
caught a cold? Is that what kept you up half the night?’
‘I slept very well, thanks.’
It seemed useless to get clever with him, however tempted
I was. His sphinx-like chat would boggle my mind if I tried.
I carried on looking at the Creatures of the
Night. Presently he was going through a small bunch of keys he’d taken from his
pocket, searching through them intently for the right one.
‘So,’ he said abruptly, without looking up, and
finding the key he was after, ‘you didn’t like school. Not the only institution
you’ve had to escape from, I’ll bet.’
‘Do you have the place bugged?’ I asked squarely.
‘You know that if you listen in on other people’s–’
‘Listening?’ he interrupted. ‘But that requires choice.
This place is made of stern stuff, and so acts a prison for sounds and voices,
hurtling their way down the corridors, trying every room for means of escape.
How can I help but hear, Cassandra ?’
‘My name’s Alex and you know that.’
He chuckled. ‘You just look like a Cassandra.’
‘You can’t assign someone a different name because you think it suits them better. Or if that’s the case I’ll just call you
Dick.’
My hand went immediately to my mouth. He looked a
little shocked, yet mildly amused at my horrid repartee. I was so annoyed with
myself for allowing my wit to get out of my mouth.
‘Actually,’ he said stiflingly, ‘and I’m not
saying this, Alexandra , to make you feel worse for that insult you just
dealt me – but Cassandra is a variant of your own name. You recognise Sandra in one is Xandra in the other? You don’t have to believe me of course.’
He was still faintly smirking.
‘Thom, I’m so sorry for my remark.’ I felt some
heat rising to my face. ‘I can’t believe I said that.’
‘Not to worry.’ He smiled genuinely, revealing
dimples in his cheeks. ‘At least you said it to my face.’
He hesitated but then motioned his dark eyes to a
painting on the wall near where I stood. It was of a woman I recognised but
couldn’t have named off-the-cuff. I examined it to discover she was the
prophet, Cassandra of Troy: the flame-haired beauty, considered insane.
He silently laughed and looked as if about to
leave the room, but I’m glad he didn’t – I don’t think I would’ve
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